Inside the Ball of Neglect
by Zabbie Q
Summary: While Reika is enjoying the Bad End Amusement Park, a stranger in a jester costume offers to tell her a story.


Aoki Reika could not remember when she had been so relaxed. In truth, it was hard to remember anything before she had come to the Bad End Amusement Park. She vaguely recalled a feeling of tiredness: waking up literally at the rooster's crow to prepare for a morning jog with a bespectacled boy who might have been related to her; standing over a hot stove to help a blue-haired woman in a kimono prepare homemade bentou; sweeping the sidewalk of the local school and watering its flower beds and greeting students. Through it all, that tiredness and silent wish to have slept just a little longer had been on the edge of her consciousness.

However, in the Bad End Amusement Park — "So ironically named," she often giggled to herself — she could sleep as much as she wanted. The park had a lovely resort on its grounds where she had her own hotel room with round-the-clock room service, and she slept on the same floor as her four friends, who didn't mind if she excused herself from the neverending number of rides just to lie down in the quiet solitude and sleep and dream beautiful things that made her smile when she awakened. Sometimes Reika felt like she did not ever want to think again — except thinking was fun too, in its own way.

After enjoying a particularly wonderful slumber — in which she dreamed she was flying around Osaka on glowing blue butterfly wings — she woke and decided she would like to try one of the latest roller coasters again. Every day something new was added to the amusement park, whether it was an attraction, a menu item at the food court, an outdoor troupe of clowns, or even a hair salon. Reika particularly enjoyed the one ride with the Arctic theme that had real snow falling upon the guests: she did not know why, but she felt a strange connection to those pretty snowflakes.

She got up without making her bed — the housekeeping staff handled that — and dressed in a sky-blue dress which the hotel provided for her, completely free. She sauntered through the calm lobby and into the bright (but not too bright) sunshine. Reika had just re-entered the main park and had started for the roller coasters when her stomach rumbled.

She laid her hand against her slim belly, furrowing her dark-blue brow. Although she had eaten before her nap, she somehow felt hungrier than before. For a moment, her languid euphoria abated, and the pain caused her gentle face to wince.

Fortunately, she stood near the aromatic food courts, and this only meant she could sample more delicious treats.

There were six buildings, each with a large figurine on its roof to advertise its wares: a coffee mug on one, a carton of french fries, a pink-and-white swirled ice-cream cone, a sweet crepe, a hot dog, and a cheeseburger. However, as new menu items were constantly added, Reika had never found herself bored with her options. It seemed like if she wanted anything, the building she strolled up to had it. Whether it was a domestic dish or something foreign, she always walked away with it on her plate.

After a few moments of indecision and sniffing the delicious scents that made her mouth water in a decidedly non-idle way, Reika loaded a plate with some savories and sweets she picked at random and nibbled as she continued to stroll around, completely at her leisure.

Far too soon, however, she realized she had emptied her plate. Still, her hunger had lessened, and that put her back into her torpid state of bliss. She considered going back to try some treats she had yet to sample, but a young man's voice stopped her.

"Hello there. Would you like a balloon?"

Reika turned to see a huge bouquet of balloons in every color of the rainbow, but while it was a pleasing sight on its own, she peered instead at the tall speaker in languorous curiosity.

He appeared to be a young park employee, but it was hard to tell his exact age as he wore a colorful costume worthy of a masquerade ball. Seeming to have stepped right from a European castle, he resembled a jester. He wore what had to be a wig made up of four colors; blue, red, and yellow formed parallel peaks capped by bell-like crystals while stylized purple bangs framed his youthful, interestingly sharp-featured face. He wore an almost domino-like mask which completely covered his wide forehead, and his raiment was what looked like a white unitard, but purple cloth swathed his limber legs, and what appeared to be a short purple cape hugged his upper torso.

Never having seen such an outfit (or such a person) before, Reika spent a few seconds more than usual to study him, fascinated by the fashionable details. At last she gave him an idle grin. "Yes, a balloon would be nice, if you please."

He bowed his head as though he were consenting to a request from a duchess. He held out a blue balloon, almost as if he already knew that was her favorite color. Reika reached to grab the string, and her hand briefly brushed against his. His skin felt smooth and pleasant, but it would be rude to linger, so she drew back.

"Thank you very much," she said, and somewhere in her sleepy mind she remembered to give a polite bow to show her gratitude.

The stranger did not seem to have eyes. Rather he had what looked like black holes that resembled two tunnels in his head, but they managed to look warm as he beamed at her. "How are you feeling today?"

She thought he had a nice smile, and her own broadened. "I do not think I could be any happier."

"I'm glad to hear it." He gave her another elegant bow. "My name is Joker."

She started to bow again with her hands folded in front of her, but his regal obeisance made her feel like a princess in a fairy tale and inspired her to respond in kind. Balloon string still in hand, Reika gripped the sides of her sky-blue skirt and bobbed a gentle curtsy. "Aoki Reika."

"Oh, I know all about you," he returned, his voice lilting in a chipper, energetic way. "I've come to see you specifically."

Reika touched her suddenly warm cheek, flattered. "Me?"

He nodded, and the crystals on the tips of his hair bounced. "May I trouble you long enough to tell you a story, Aoki Reika-san?"

"It won't be a trouble at all. I like a good story, if you please, Joker-san."

"Oh, this is one of the _best_," he promised, giving a humming, throaty giggle.

His laughter sounded incredibly pleasant, and it warmed her to her core. He released his balloons, and they made a quick, colorful, effervescent rise to the the blue sky. Reika allowed her own to join the joyous throng, and she placidly watched them float away until Joker motioned to catch her attention.

"Let's sit down, shall we?" he suggested, and his feet left the ground to hover.

Reika briefly thought this defied the laws of nature, but instead of feeling surprised or alarmed, a lazy admiration rose up inside her. "I wish I could fly," she sighed, clasping her hands against her heart. She remembered the dream she had enjoyed of blue butterfly wings, which had felt so real.

"Maybe we can arrange something," he replied. "For now, this way, if you would."

She followed him earnestly, fascinated by his low flight—and his pretty hair—and his stylish clothes—and his pixie ears with pearl studs—and he led the way to an empty bench outside the food court, far enough from the noisy rides and screams of delight that he could be heard with ease. Reika took a seat, folding her hands on her lap (but not before she dreamily smoothed out her dress). Joker crossed one long purple leg over the other and rested his chin against his knuckles.

"Are you ready?" he asked. "Would you like a cup of tea first?" He held up a blue mug with a white snowflake.

Reika accepted it gratefully, starting to feel a little hungry again. She did not even stop to question where the beverage had come from. She sipped the steamy, delicious brew, keeping her eyes fixed on her new acquaintance, who she found more and more charming by the second.

Joker eased himself into a comfortable position, leaning back against the bench. His pleasant, mellifluous voice began his tale, drawing Reika in with his cadence and energy.

"Once upon a time, a great emperor named Pierrot ruled over the Bad End Kingdom. He was so powerful and so brilliant that he could create life from anything. One day he took a playing card and fashioned a young jester. He made the jester very clever, and the jester was very loyal to his creator and could be trusted to carry out any job at any time."

"He sounds like an interesting person," Reika remarked, lowering her cup briefly to speak. "Both of them."

"If you only knew," he chirped, folding his arms. "Pierrot-sama was an amazing magician and king, but like the other sprites of the Bad End Kingdom, he was what the people of Earth called a 'fictional' character. Human authors rarely, rarely put him in happy stories. Instead, they enjoyed making Pierrot-sama suffer for their pleasure and profit. They plastered his misery across stage plays, puppet shows, paintings, picture books, and even greeting cards."

"Oh, dear." Reika's tranquil happiness started to diminish slightly. She set her mug in her lap.

"So, tired of suffering in the name of human art, Pierrot-sama started gathering his people to make war on Earth. To pay back the humans for their unkindness, he would treat them to utter despair and deny them the hope they refused to give the Bad End citizens.

"Unfortunately, he had a great enemy, the Queen Royale of Märchenland. The busybody tried to prevent him from spreading despair over humans, even though they deserved it. But Märchenland had all the happy endings, so what did she care if the sprites suffered as long as her fairies were happy? So Pierrot-sama had to attack her kingdom to clear the way to the rest of the universe."

"Like the invasion of Belgium in the First World War?" Reika asked.

Although she could skip school to live in the amusement park, she still found great pleasure in reading about history. It was more fun when she could learn on her own time, lounging in a library or anywhere with air conditioning, instead of waking up early and going to school to receive instruction. (The amusement park had a comfortable library over by the gift shop, so she didn't even have to walk far to indulge herself.)

"I suppose you could look at it that way if it helps you understand it," said Joker, bobbing his variegated head playfully from side to side. "In any case, Pierrot-sama and the Queen did battle, which ended in a draw, and they were both sealed away as a result. The clever jester worked hard to revive his creator, collecting Bad Energy and searching for the mysterious Miracle Jewel, said to grant any wish. But the Queen didn't just stay asleep. (She really was a busybody.) Using what was left of her power, she sent five lights to Earth to create the Precure, a group of girls who became warriors of legend. These girls would protect the happy endings of the fairies by making sure Pierrot-sama never got his."

His hands formed fists, and five small balls of varying colors appeared in his spidery hands.

Reika clapped, amazed. "Oh, you're a stage magician, are you?" she said happily, barely noticing her mug had fallen from her lap or that her Mary Janes sat in a puddle of hot tea. Reika liked magic tricks, both watching the spectacle and trying to figure out the technical science behind them.

He flashed her that charming smile and shifted on the bench to give himself more room before he started to juggle the five balls. They leapt through the air in a perfect ring, his fingers barely touching them. Then he flicked the blue one in the air, and it plopped onto the tip of his nose. He did not even disrupt the rhythm of the other four. Then he made another toss, and the pink one landed on the blue. One by one, he flicked them up until they made a straight stack. He spread out his arms in dramatic sweeps.

"Tah-dah!"

Reika applauded, even more earnestly than before. "Oh, you're wonderful, Joker-san! Astounding!"

"You don't know the half of it, Aoki-san," he replied. He made a few flourishes and then waved a hand down the side of the stack. As his hand passed them, the balls disappeared.

Reika edged a little closer, quite fascinated, and their knees touched. "So, what happened next to the clever jester?"

Straightening, Joker swiveled his decorative head and leaned in toward his transfixed listener.

"The clever jester and his subordinates collected enough Bad Energy to revive the emperor for a brief time," he continued. His happy voice dropped into a soft, tense tone. "But the Precure defeated Pierrot-sama in a great battle. Pierrot-sama was reduced to a black egg and shot into outer space. The jester found him after a long search, but he knew he had to stop the Precure. The brats were close—too close—to discovering the secrets of the Queen's Royal Clock. That could spell doom for Pierrot-sama. So, the clever jester had to act fast and use a Ball of Neglect on his enemies."

"What's that?"

"A creation of Pierrot-sama's," he explained, gesturing and inflecting as if he were announcing an exciting attraction on the midway. "Weaponized happiness to defeat those who wouldn't let Pierrot-sama find happiness. As I told you, the emperor could create life, and he originally meant to use the spell to ease the sufferings of his subjects. The creatures of the Bad End Kingdom were created by human authors, specifically to be miserable. Often they were killed in their own stories for the sake of teaching a moral to human children."

"Oh, my," Reika murmured. Her euphoria dropped significantly again as a fresh discomfort rose to take its place. However, Joker's voice drew her in like a magnet, and she didn't want him to stop talking until he had finished. "I wish the Bad End people could come here. I'm so happy here. They would be too."

Joker nodded, seemingly satisfied with her response. "But Pierrot-sama saw that he was only treating the symptoms, not the disease. To truly help the Bad End Kingdom, he had to stop human authors and anyone who could become an author. He used the Ball of Neglect and the Sea of Despair on many before he decided to go to war. The Ball of Neglect is particularly heinous though," he chuckled.

"It doesn't sound exactly pleasant."

He waved a finger in a secretive way. "Oh, that's the beauty of it, Aoki-san. When a person is in the Ball of Neglect, they _think_ they're happy. They _think_ they're eating wonderful types of food. But they're not. They're eating only illusions. So, their stomachs stay empty, but their brains tell them they're eating. The Ball gives them liquid to prolong their life slightly, but within forty days, they die of starvation."

Reika shivered a little. It reminded her of her own returning hunger pangs—but then she thought of what Joker said about what the humans did to those poor Bad End creatures. Her lackadaisical peace returned.

"What an interesting plot device," she complimented. "I'm glad the human villains get their just rewards."

"Me, too. So, the clever jester managed to snatch up four of the Precure into the Ball of Neglect. Cure Happy, the fifth one, demanded to go next, thinking she would be able to resist the magic and save her friends. And I can tell you with all honesty—she didn't." He chuckled darkly.

"Their she-fairy tried to follow them next, but the clever jester was, of course, clever. Rather than wasting precious time, he left the Precure's fairies shouting after him. He teleported back to the Bad End Kingdom, forever separating the Precure from the she-fairy so that they would never be able to work the Royal Clock."

"That is sensible."

"But of course." He bowed his head, and Reika giggled a little with pleasure. "So, he put the Ball on a cushion, and he put the cushion on a pedestal, and the pedestal he put inside the innermost chamber of Pierrot-sama's palace where no one could find it. There the Ball of Neglect will remain until the Precure die. Then, with the legendary warriors out of the way, Pierrot-sama will be revived without opposition. And when Pierrot-sama finishes his work, a world of true comfort awaits those who have served him."

"That's a nice ending for the clever jester," said Reika.

"There's beauty in a Bad End," snickered Joker, sweeping his hands out as if he were addressing the whole amusement park. Then he settled back, looking at her with a satisfied glint on his interesting face.

Reika wondered if he had to swivel his head to see because he didn't really have eyes to glance about for him like she had—but instead of repulsing her, she rather found it a fascinating idea, like hearing a ghost story that could have been true. She wanted to ask him where his eyes went—and what color they had been and if they had been as pretty as his hair—but Joker kept speaking.

"I'm telling you all this, of course, because if the Ball of Neglect were a real thing, there's just one downside to the clever jester's great plan."

"What is that?"

"None of the Precure would ever know how he had beaten them," he said simply. He gave a lighthearted shrug. "Where's the fun in winning if you don't get to brag about it afterward? Where's the joy of watching others suffer if they don't understand the great level of cunning and foresight it took to conquer them?"

"I don't think I fully understand that," replied Reika, blinking in surprise, "but whatever makes him happy, I suppose."

"Oh, it's not about happiness, really. Not his, anyway," Joker said quickly. "His will has always been to serve Emperor Pierrot, ever since he took his first breath."

Reika's eyes softened. She touched her cheek. "That's lovely."

He nodded. "Pierrot-sama is one of the few who deserves every bit of happiness the universe has to offer," replied the youth firmly, "but the universe won't give him any of that happiness. That's why he'll reign his wondrous despair across all the known galaxies."

"Will that make him feel better?"

"I know it will. Pierrot-sama will rework the universe into his own image, with himself completely in control." Joker raised his head to gaze at the blue sky. "Truly, Pierrot-sama's reality will be wonderful once the unworthy and the useless are out of his way."

"And the clever jester? Will he be happy at last?"

His enthusiastic smile twitched into a smirk. "His personal happiness is of no consequence," he said, running a hand over his lovely hair, "but if it means Pierrot-sama finally has peace, he would lay down his life to help his creator achieve his dream."

"He sounds like a real hero."

Joker promptly doubled over, snorting. Then, seemingly unable to control himself, he threw back his head in a gale of high-pitched laughter, revealing two rows of pointed teeth. Reika thought they looked very white and very interesting.

"Oh, you slay me! You _slay_ me!" he wheezed, slapping his chest and convulsing against the backrest. When he could at last straighten, he grinned at her. "Oh, Aoki-san, you never cease to surprise me, even here."

Reika did not know what he meant by "even here," but she flushed happily. "Thank you," she mumbled, averting her eyes and pushing aside her dark-blue hair.

"Now, where was I?" He folded his arms again. "Oh, yes. This is the final part of our story. The clever jester slipped himself into the Ball of Neglect and sought the one Precure who could fully appreciate his plans, even if the Ball's magic dulled her senses. This girl is named Cure Beauty, and she had caused him a lot more trouble than any human should have. So it was exceedingly satisfying to tell her just how he had managed to kill her."

"Wouldn't the clever jester fall under the spell of the Ball of Neglect?"

"Oh, nothing could make him feel _that_ level of happiness," he replied calmly. "Since he wants nothing but to see his master's dream come true, literally nothing in the Ball could tempt him into bliss."

Reika nodded. "And what about Cure Beauty? Did she appreciate his story?"

"I hope so. It's her fault the clever jester had to resort to these measures in the first place."

She knitted her brow. "Her?"

Joker averted his gaze and leaned forward, gripping the seat. For a moment he didn't speak, as if he were considering his words. Then a smirk appeared.

"Understand, during the month of July, he came to Earth to steal the Décor Décor from the Precure, to keep them from reviving the horrible Märchenland queen. For good measure, he kidnapped their fairy, and he collected the last bit of Bad Energy he needed from his foes. He successfully started Pierrot-sama's revival, and Pierrot-sama successfully awoke. The jester did so many clever things, but he failed Pierrot-sama in a tragic, unthinkable way."

His smirk remained, but his knuckles whitened. "When he should have served Pierrot-sama and killed the girl named Cure Happy, he was caught off guard by a blast of snow. It was sudden enough to daze him and make him fall from the sky, but when he landed, he faced Cure Beauty. This girl challenged him to a fight, saying she would not let him leave her presence."

Reika leaned forward, interested. "Could she fly like him?" she asked, hoping he would tell her about a great aerial battle.

However, he shook his head. "Not at all. She had no real remarkable magic to stop him. Some ice powers, yes, but the jester could teleport between realms without using the book gates. He could fly through outer space if he wanted. He didn't need to stay. He could have gone back to Cure Happy as quickly as blinking and run a blade through her back. But he didn't. He stayed with Beauty." His black eyes narrowed. "It was his biggest mistake."

"Poor jester."

"And because he didn't stop Cure Happy, and because Cure Happy got the rest of the Cure Decors—well, because of his indiscretion, when Pierrot-sama revived, the Precure were able to defeat the emperor. The clever jester failed the man who had given him life."

"He must really like fighting then," observed Reika, "if he would stay with the warrior."

Joker shook his head again. He folded his arms, and he grimaced. "Not so much that he would abandon his king."

"But he stayed with her."

"It was…" He closed his eyes. "...A moment of weakness. A moment he really shouldn't have had with a human," he added softly, almost growling.

"I suppose not," Reika agreed. "Since it's his job to stop the bad humans who made his king suffer, and she was protecting the bad ones."

"And because he didn't resist... her, it cost Pierrot-sama so much. The jester could not even confess his great sin to his maker. He spun his report as if three of his generals had been the true failures, but the jester knew he had to fix his mistake. He worked hard, and finally the idea came to him to use the Ball of Neglect. Weaponized happiness against the protectors of human happiness. A beautiful Bad End for those brats, no?"

"Very fitting." She nodded and looked at him with dreamy eyes. Now that the story seemed to be finished, her euphoria swept over her once more. "Could you tell me another one, Joker-san?"

He opened his eyes, chortling. "Oh, there is much more fun to discover than listening to me prattle away." He motioned toward the rides in the distance. "You can do anything here, Aoki-san. Anything your heart's ever wanted. It'll appear before you."

Reika tilted her head as an idea struck her. "Anything at all?"

"The world is your oyster."

What a wonderful thing. And right then she knew exactly what she wanted to do first. She shifted on the bench, getting onto her knees to face him.

Joker gazed out at the attractions. "I think I see your friends on the carousel," he commented, pointing. "They're enjoying themselves immensely."

Reika did not reply. Her eyes traveled over his colorful hair, his mysterious mask, his large pointed ears with the pearl studs, and the broad smile which split his youthful—and handsome—elfish face.

Then she leaned in and pressed her lips against his smooth cheek.

He sat bolt upright, and his head snapped toward her, startled.

That allowed Reika to place a chaste kiss on his parted mouth.

It was just a brief peck, but even so her heart fluttered like a butterfly. She settled back on her heels, gazing at the gaping boy.

His torso lurched away from her, and he clutched the backrest of the bench. His pale face blanched further. His tunnel-like eyes seemed to take up the majority of his white domino.

Reika tilted her head, unperturbed and content to study him. "You're rather handsome," she said. "Did anyone ever tell you that before?"

The pallor grew whiter—and then all at once a slight pink blossomed around the lower rim of his mask. It had time to spread down his cheeks before Joker, without a word, buried his face into his spidery hands. A strange choking sound erupted from his throat, and his shoulders heaved as if he struggled to breathe.

Reika took his arm. "Are you okay?" she murmured. "Don't be upset. Nobody ever has to be upset here—not ever again."

Joker gave a single shudder at her touch, like a spasm of dread. His sharp teeth bared themselves, gritted tightly together.

After several strained gulps of air, his breathing evened again. He raised his head. He squinted at her in confusion before he looked about, scratching his scalp with his long nails. "What was I doing here?" he murmured. "I thought it was something important."

Reika gave him a lackadaisical smile. "You don't have to worry about important things ever again, remember?" she said dreamily. "There's no obligations or responsibilities. Just fun and relaxation."

"Fun... Fun..." he repeated. A placid expression replaced his confusion. "That amusement park looks like fun." He turned his head toward her, and he seemed suddenly shy. "Do you… do you ever ride roller coasters?"

Her grin widened as she remembered the Arctic ride she had wanted to try again. "They're simply splendid, aren't they?"

He stood and helped her to her feet. Then, after a moment, he held out his hand, and she took it without hesitation. His skin felt so nice next to hers, and she didn't mind leaning her head against his slender arm.

"I like your nails," she said with a happy sigh, holding up their linked hands to admire them: black and each at least two inches long. "They're pretty and sharp like a kitty cat's."

"I like your ears," he replied, pushing back her blue sidelock on the opposite side of her fringe. "Even though they're round and small, they look cute."

Together, they started for the roller coasters, but as they passed the buildings of the food court, Reika changed course, pulling him with her.

"Let's get something to eat first," she said, touching her stomach with her free hand. "I'm rather hungry."

"I'm a bit peckish myself," Joker said.

Within minutes, they each had a plate and sat together talking, and they feasted until they were at last satisfied.

Satisfied, at least, for a while.

THE END

* * *

Originally, I had planned to end this with a scene of Pop and Candy rallying the fairies to save the Precure, but the ambiguous ending here seemed to work better overall. I like that it's a bit like the ending of the short story "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (at least in my own humble opinion). In any case, I suspect things will be very awkward when everyone finally escapes the Ball.

_World of comfort_ —In the sub version I watched, the scene where Joker recruits the generals has him promise "a world of comfort awaits" after they destroy Earth. If you think he was (mostly) telling the truth, I played around with the idea that the spell for the Ball of Neglect was what Joker meant. (That said, Joker kinda sounds like he's part of a cult for Pierrot.)

Part of this fic was inspired by the fact that Joker makes a lot of… mistakes after Episode 23. Like "Did you stop and read the Evil Overlord List before you did that, clown boy?" kind of mistakes. Whereas in Episode 21, he (rightly) disappeared after he kidnapped Candy, in Episode 31 when he puts Candy into the Ball of Neglect, he just hangs around mocking the Precure. Then when he has the Precure in the Ball of Neglect, he hangs around mocking the fairies. That two-parter would have turned out entirely differently if he had done the smart thing and just left when he could.

But then, it also shows despite his smarts, his hubris gets him into trouble. (He's a character from Bad End — the best tragedies result when characters cause their own downfall because they wouldn't change their ways.) Even though the smart thing would be to help "Pierrot-sama" by just getting the job done, he has to stop and make a theatrical production out of his work. Case in point, in Episode 43 when he's with Reika in the archery range, he could have just attacked her without announcing himself first, but instead he a) throws a dart at her target, b) mockingly greets her, c) creates a Bad End space and kidnaps her to his room, d) mockingly congratulates her, e) sets an Akanbe on her, f) does his whole Mind Game spiel, g) decides he shouldn't kill her when her friends show up and tries to take all five girls on at once. I think it's a telling point of his character that in Episode 40 when he's delivering the news that Wolfrun has to kill just one Precure because Pierrot is angry, Wolfrun points out that Joker has failed to revive Pierrot too, but Joker deflects the accusation.


End file.
